BWare's Novice Training Log

[Bruce Ware]

9/26 Session 19-3

Squat (volume) --

Warm-ups: 45 x 5 x 2
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3

Working sets: 280 x 5 x 5

Press (intensity) --

Warm-ups: 45 x 5 x 2
95 x 3

Working sets: 120 x 5 x 3; decent form and stability, a little wobble on rep 4 of last set, but recovered balance and completed rep5 with no trouble; plus 2 next time.

Pull-ups (pulling assist) -- 10 x 3

Finished session with a 15 minute ergo rowing routine, aiming for 20 s/m and trying to improve over previous 500 meter split time average; still have 3 more rounds to complete before computing the average, but this round went pretty well.

[Bruce Ware]

9/27 Session 19-4

Bench Press (volume)

Warm-ups: 45 x 5 x 2
95 x 5

Working sets: 140 x 5 x 5

Deadlift (volume)

Warm-ups: 135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5

Working sets: 280 x 5 x 3

Seated OHP (assistance)

Working sets: 82 x 8 x 3

[Bruce Ware]

9/29 weekend update

9/28 AM rowing: Since I will not be racing next weekend (family obligations out of town), coach put me in the "weaker" novice boat, so he could focus on the line-up for the winning boat. No problem, and I can see why the novices in that boat have not been as successful as the boat that I normally assigned to. Felt good helping out with really minor posture tweak suggestions.

9/29 AM rowing: Today, we had more novices than seats available, and the ladies' racing team needed another port-side rower to join them for their practice, so coach sent me on over. Fun rowing with them; they did their warm-up at a racing pace and then we practiced the power turn, as the race next weekend will involve a 180 degree course reversal. I discovered their boat stability was not much better than the novices, but they were definitely good with endurance and working hard. Gave myself a good 1h:10m of "credit" for cardio conditioning.

9/29 was also Measurement Sunday, and after last weekend's not-so-good numbers I was worried. But needlessly so. My total weight jumped so much and my fat measurement techniques showed that most of it was lean mass, to the extent that both those metrics (total weight and LBM) showed a major process shift upwards to new levels. The control limits are still very wide with only one measurement supporting them, so it will be a couple of weekends before I can make any inferences about projected averages. But here's what we have so far:

Total weight -- 194.2 (spot); weekly average 191.5 (up 0.2); new long-term average 194.2
LBM -- 172.8 (spot, up 3.7)
Fat -- 21.4 (up 0.1)

Yields a BF% of 11.0%. My end-of-year targets are 195 at about 11.0% for a LBM of 173.4, which I have read is my "genetic potential" based on skeletal measurements. We'll see if that has any validity.

Eating was about the same as last week -- average daily protein uptake was up to 136 g, and fat up to 133 g; carbs hanging out about the same. I want to keep pressing total intake up but maybe drop some fat grams and increase protein grams. But I'm so generally pleased with my progress so far that I am not all that anxious to change up the plan.

[Bruce Ware]

9/30 Session 20-1

Squat (intensity) --

Warm-ups: 45 x 5 x 2
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 2

Working sets: 325 x 5 x 3; I stepped up for the first set, and was all over the place after un-racking. I could only think, 'uh-oh I'm in trouble'. But I re-racked the weight, stepped back and took a minute or two to breathe, then hitched my Dominion Strength (tm) lifting belt one notch tighter and went for it again. No problem this time, and I got all 3 sets with solid depth, pace, and control. yay! belt!! Plus 5 next time, and I'll continue to aim for sets of 5.

Dips (press assist) -- 8 x 3

BB Row (pull assist) --

Warm-ups: 95 x 5
135 x 5

Working sets: 170 x 5 x 3; plus 5 next time.

Started the session with some rowing ergo work, 3 sets of 15 minute intervals at 20 s/m; took about 30 minutes rest afterwards before starting the lifts. Decent 500 m split times for these intervals, showing improvement over 2 weeks ago.

[Bruce Ware]

10/1 Session 20-2

Opened with the last of my 15-minute intervals for the week on the rower.

Today is a heavy press and heavy deadlift day.

Press --

Warm-ups: 45 x 5 x 2
95 x 3

Working sets: 122 x 5, 5, 4. Just not enough oomph to get that last rep, but I don't feel too bad, because this is an all-time best press high weight for me, and I'm still using form 1.0 strict. Next session, I will go up plus 2, but will drop to 3 sets of 3 reps, with the intended progression to be sets of 4 then sets of 5 before increasing the weight again.

Deadlift --

Warm-ups: 135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3

Working set: 325 x 5; solid form and a pretty decent 3- to 4-second grind on the last one but no pausing. Plus 5 next time.

Tomorrow is a rest day from lifting, but I have some 10-minute rowing intervals to do, so I'll be actively resting. LOL!

[Bruce Ware]

10/2 Rowing machine

2 rounds of 10 minutes at a 26 s/m rate. I programmed the pace boat to use a 2:16 split time, and my objective was to beat it. It seems the computer has its own internal algorithm that adjusts the pace boat rate as a function of my own rowing. I did beat the pace boat, but on my second round, I had to get and hold a 2:10 500-meter split to do it. Helluva workout! Have two more rounds to complete the week, which I'll do before lifting on Thursday.

[Bruce Ware]

10/3 Session 20-3

Squat (light/volume) --

Warm-ups: 45 x 5 x 2
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3

Working sets: 285 x 5 x 5

Bench Press (heavy) --

Warm-ups: 45 x 5 x 2
95 x 5
135 x 3

Working sets: 162.5 x 5 x 3; plus 2.5 next time

Shrugs (pull assist) --

Warm-up: 135 x 5

Working sets: 225 x 5 x 3; plus 10 next time. I have added this exercise as well as rack pulls and halting deadlifts to alternate and assist with improving my deadlift numbers. For now, assistance exercises will only be for pressing and pulling.

Taking a few days off to do the sprint race, but I'll be back in 4 or 5 and no re-set planned.

[Bruce Ware]

10/6 Measurement Sunday

Weight -- 193.2 (spot, down 1.0); week avg 193.2 (up 1.7); long-term 193.7 (down 0.5)

LBM -- 173.8 (up 1.0); long-term 173.3 (up 0.5)

Fat -- 19.4 (down 2.0); long-term 20.4 (down 1.0) for a BF% of ~ 10.6%.

Eating was a bit off for the week (likely due to doing a lot of driving over the past 2 days and losing some calories): 2520 in, 114g/315g/101g.

[Bruce Ware]

10/11 Session 20-4 (back from a 5-day break to finish last week's training, a volume press/volume deadlift day)

Press:

Warm-ups - 45 x 5 x 2
95 x 3

Working sets - 107 x 5 x 5

Deadlifts:

Warm-ups - 135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5

Working sets - 285 x 5 x 3

A bunch of days off, and only marginally effective eating; I did do some decent walking, but that's no real stress. Feeling a bit queasy after this one and I am very apprehensive about this weekend's rowing and racing schedule and how I'm going to perform. Has there been some de-training? We'll see...

[Bruce Ware]

10/12 Morning rowing

Warm-up and technique refinement in prep for tomorrow's head races, a 5000 meter sprint. I've been assigned to seat 6 in the second boat - since I wasn't in last week's race, it feels like a demotion from what we've taken to calling the "varsity" boat down to the "JV" boat, but I know I can perform and probably help the boat turn in a good race.